Field of Use
The present invention relates to an electrostatic charging member, and more specifically, to an outer surface layer of an electrostatic charging member.
Background
Image forming apparatuses require electrostatic charging of an image holding member by use of an electrostatic charging member or bias charging member. Electrostatic latent images differing from their surroundings in electric potential are formed on the electrostatically charged image holding member. The electrostatic latent images are developed with a developer containing toner, and eventually transferred to a recording material.
Electrostatic charging members are devices having the function of charging electrostatically image holding members and can use contact charging method, wherein the charging member is brought into direct contact with the image holding member to perform electrostatically charge of the image holding members.
The electrostatic charging member is equipped with an electrostatic charging member, such as an electrostatic charging roll, which is brought into direct contact with the surface of an image holding member and made to rotate in synchronization with movement of the image holding member's surface, thereby giving electrostatic charges to the image holding member. The electrostatic charging roll is made up of, e.g., a base material and an elastic conducting layer formed around the peripheral surface of the base material and an outer most layer.
Presently, the outermost layer is coated onto the elastic conducting layer using a solvent and the coating is and thermally cured.
It would be desirable to provide an outermost layer that does not require solvent coating and still provides adequate performance.